Introduction to Persuasion: Guided Notes

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Introduction to Persuasion: Guided Notes

Directions: As we view and discuss the presentation, take notes on the key aspects of each appeal, device, and structure. You may want to include examples for each.

Persuasive Appeals

1. Bandwagon:

Taps into people’s desire to belong
You are urged to do or believe something because everyone else does,
Ex: You have to come to the concert. Everyone’s going to be there.

1. Plain Folks:

Implies that ordinary people are on “our side” or that a candidate is like an ordinary person
You believe them because they are like you; they can be trusted.
Ex: Senator Jacobs knows what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet.

1. Testimonial:

Relies on endorsements from well-known people or satisfied customers
Ex: As an Olympic athlete, I need all the energy I can get. That’s why I start my day with Grain Puffs.

1. Transfer:

Connects a product, a candidate, or a cause with a positive image or idea
Ex: Freedom is in your hands the minute you hit the road in a Mountainback XRV.

1. Emotional:

Uses words that evoke strong feelings, rather than facts and evidence, to persuade
Appeals to pity, fear, vanity, etc.
Ex: Appeal to pity: For just one dollar a day, you can give a stray pet a second chance.

1. Appeal to Values:

Taps into people’s values or moral standards
Ex: Volunteer today – because it’s the right thing to do.

1. Loaded Language:

Uses words with strongly positive or negative connotations to stir people’s emotions
Ex: For the safety of our innocent children, we must protect our community from rampant crime.

Rhetorical Devices and Structures

1. Analogy:

Makes a comparison between two subjects that are alike in some ways
Ex: "Have you heard the canned, frozen and processed product being dished up to the world as
American popular music today?" – Billy Joel

1. Parallelism:

Uses similar grammatical constructions to express ideas that are related or equal in importance.
Often creates a rhythm
Ex: "We cannot, we must not, refuse to protect the right of every American to vote in every election…And we ought not, and we cannot, and we must not wait another eight months before we get a bill."

1. Rhetorical Questions:

A question asked to prove a point
Not intended for a response
Ex: Did you really have to eat that candy before dinner?

1. Repetition:

Uses the same word or words more than once for emphasis
Ex: "Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all." – Nelson Mandela

Reflection:

Which appeal is the most effective for you, personally? Which one is the most likely to get you to do something or buy something? Why? Think of an example of an advertisement that uses this appeal and explain how it is effective for you.